What colour do you feel?

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I was sitting this weekend with my son as he put together a page in his photography portfolio on colour and we had a very interesting discussion about the different colours and how they represent people, moods, attitudes and feelings. It reminded me of when I had a ‘mood ring’ in my younger days and how I’d watch it change colour from day to day.

So what is colour and how does it work?

There are four psychological primary colours - red, blue, yellow and green. Each of them relate to the body, the mind and emotion and how these 3 elements are (or are not) balanced. The trick is to understand how these colours can how power over you and your emotions and how you can use them to your advantage.

The colour RED represents physicality. Strength, energy, that ‘fight or flight’ reaction or in a negative way can suggest stress or even aggression. Red often grabs our attention first which is why it is used with ‘stop’ traffic lights. Red makes your pulse race faster (think love symbolised as a red heart).

BLUE refects intelligence, communication, trust and calm. It makes us think of blue skies and releasing the mind. It works with us on a mental (rather than a physical) level and is said to help with concentration. However, too much blue can feel distant and even unemotional.

YELLOW is the colour of emotion and personality. It demonstrates friendliness and creative impulses and optimism. On a negative note it can be linked with emotional concerns such as anxiety and depression. Using the right colour yellow will lift spirits and self-esteem and give the wearer/viewer confidence and a feeling of optimism. Too much or the wrong tone can make you feel panic, fear and anxiety.

Finally, GREEN is about balance. Green promotes nature, rest, peace and awareness and is often used to promote a sense of calm. Too much green can suggest boredom and stagnation and being bland.

From these 4 primary colours comes a surge of ‘mixed’ hues that allow for a range of emotions, feelings and responses. They are study in themselves.

Usually when we select colours to wear, paint a room, highlight a text, pick out an object it is done on a sub-conscious level, but there is always more behind the choice. We are naturally drawn to certain colours and this can change depending on the way we are feeling, what we are trying to accomplish and the message we are wanting to relay.

So for today. Have a look at the colour chart here and see which colour you naturally respond to. What is your physical (body reaction), intellectual (what do you think), emotional (what do you feel) and psychological (how do you want to act) response to the colours. Ask yourself why?

See how often this changes and when it changes. Ask yourself why?

Colour can be a tool that you can use to build your self-esteem, your confidence. It can help to portray a message to others subliminally or be part of a campaign with an objective to get a certain feeling or message across.

We help people in the workplace to become aware of their own impact and choices in their lives. What do we need to do to help ourselves and others to be in better place emotionally? How do we look after our mental health? Mental health and emotional wellbeing is top of the agenda and this is what we work with. The effect in our personal and professional lives is immense.